2018 Kia Soul: What to check before buying

Sudden failure, often at highway speed, is the dominant complaint, with knocking, smoke, power loss, or a full seizure. Mechanics in these reports point to connecting rod bearing failure, metal shavings in the oil, and low compression from worn piston rings. Many failures give no warning light. Heavy oil burning often comes first. Seven reports involve fire, including flames from the engine bay while driving and one car that burned while parked. Failures cluster from about 70,000 to 94,000 miles, with more past 120,000. Some owners say coverage was denied because a software update was never done.

Heavy oil consumption is the main pattern. Owners add oil weekly or find it low soon after an oil change. The problem often comes with a check engine light, black exhaust smoke, and a failed catalytic converter, mostly between about 89,400 and 98,000 miles. Several cases end in knocking, stalling on the road, and an engine that needs replacing or rebuilding, including one with a connecting rod through the block. Stalls often happen with no warning light, sometimes at highway speed.

Most of these reports describe sudden power loss and engine failure, not transmission faults. Owners report rod knock, a flickering oil light, and then a dead engine, mostly between about 65,000 and 80,000 miles. A second group describes hesitation from a stop followed by hard acceleration, sluggish or stumbling response, and odd shifting, some on nearly new cars. Check engine lights keep coming back, and dealers often cannot find a cause. Oil leaking into the catalytic converter also appears. One crash report describes an EV rolling downhill after being put in park.

Starting failures and stalls lead this category. The car clicks but won't start, or needs a jump even after the battery, starter, and alternator test fine. Several stalls turn out to be oil consumption and engine failure rather than wiring faults. Two reports describe engine-bay fires while driving. Other complaints cite brake and tail lights that keep burning out, cracked headlight lenses, false adaptive cruise and emergency brake warnings in the rain, and an EV battery losing charge capacity. A few owners say dealers could not read the diagnostic port or finish airbag work.

Most of these reports say the air bags did not deploy in serious crashes. Eight describe crashes, including front, side, and rear impacts, and many cars were totaled. Reported injuries include chest bruising, head trauma, and spinal disc damage. In one front-end crash only the side bags deployed. The remaining complaints are about dealer delays on airbag repair work. Owners describe waiting months for parts or appointments, and some say dealers asked them to pay for diagnostics first.

The car surges or speeds up on its own, often from a stop with the brake pressed. Two reports describe crashes, one into a house that left the driver with a broken nose and one into a parked car. Other owners report very high revs at startup, the front end jumping under throttle, hesitation from a stop, and sudden slowdowns on the freeway. Some of these complaints tie the events to oil warnings, engine knock, and engine failure. Dealers often find nothing wrong.

There are only a few steering complaints, but they are serious. Owners describe losing steering control mid-turn, a wheel that turns hard or goes loose, and violent front-end shaking. Repairs mentioned include a steering shaft at 102,000 miles and new steering gears, coupler, and rack. One report ties the loss of steering to the car dropping into limp mode while the battery boiled over. Another blames skin dermatitis on the steering wheel material.

Paint failure is the most common complaint. White paint flakes off the hood and chips along the seam where it meets the contrasting roof, and clear coat peels off the mirrors. In one report, paint flakes blew onto the windshield at freeway speed and blocked the driver's view. A dashboard that turns sticky and glossy causes glare on the windshield. One report describes the car catching fire in a driveway while parked and switched off, with no cause found.

This small group of complaints is about tire failures at highway speed. One rear tire separated at about 70 mph. Another blew out at about 60 mph with no low-pressure warning and sent the car into a spin, though it hit nothing. Owners also object that the car comes with a tire mobility kit instead of a spare, and the kit only seals small punctures.